Top tips for matching shirts and ties

20th July 2018

Deciding on a tie and shirt combination can be a struggle and sometimes a little boring. Whether you wear a shirt daily for work or only get one out for special occasions, we’ve got some top tips to help you match your shirts and ties with ease.

Try out a new base colour

It’s often instinct to reach for a crisp white shirt to set off a bold coloured tie, but a pale grey shirt is another option that will go with almost any tie. Grey can come across as a bit more sophisticated and is a bit more interesting than a standard white shirt!

Look for complimentary colours

Floral ties are great for brightening up your outfit for an occasion or even in a meeting. When choosing the right shirt to go with your floral tie, try to avoid coordinating with the main shade of your tie. Instead, choose a shirt that matches one of the less frequent shades, or the accent colour. This will allow the main colour of the tie to stand out, whilst ensuring the two items match.

Don’t be afraid to play with pattern

If you want to opt for a bold look and mix and match patterns, then you need to aim for patterns that have complementary shades and styles. If patterns are too similar the whole look will merge into one, too different and it looks a bit messy. As a general rule, always try and make sure your tie is darker than your shirt and have the pattern a little smaller too.

If in doubt keep it simple

Sometimes, for a formal event, you’ll probably be best sticking to a double cuff white shirt and keeping it simple. In this case, to add a bit of colour, you can add a tie that has a delicate pattern and some cufflinks that have a punch of colour. Classic combinations such as blue and white or red and white are a good go-to option.